Tom Odell Live [Review]

I sit here, tucked under my duvet in my Wrong Crowd t-shirt, trying to find the words to describe last night's events: exhilarating, emotional, powerful, fantastic. Pushed up against a barrier with my hair sticking to my forehead, and the girl next to me swaying this way and that, I screamed the lyrics to Tom Odell's songs for an hour and a half straight, as he embarked on the Birmingham leg of his No Bad Days Tour 2016. 

Calm and collected, unlike everyone in the crowd, Tom strolled onto the stage and took his seat at the grand piano. The lyrics of Still Getting Used to Being On My Own glided in, and as the intensity of the instruments built, as the did the light show, alongside the sheer passion behind Tom's vocals. I thought this was a strange opener; the song deliberates the tragic struggle of getting over a relationship. However, this was picked up by the thriving rock ballad I Know, which inspired plenty of fist pumps. Following this was his latest album's title track, Wrong Crowd, which was adjusted for this performance, making the whistling interlude more pop-based with overriding distorted vocals. Though I preferred the original, it just goes to show that Tom has something for everyone: the assortment of soul, rock and pop in the first three tracks demonstrates the diversity in his music, all played with equal enthusiasm. 

My friend, who I was with, has seen him three times now, and commented on how his confidence has grown each time. This was evident in the way he freely chatted with the audience. I think this added to the whole effect of the concert; it was intimate, friendly, despite the sometimes heavy rockiness. There was also confidence underpinned in the way his music prospered. One of the highlights for me was his performance of Concrete, in which the emotional acoustic instrumentalism was conquered by an amazing light show and the flourishing fierceness of the backing track. It remained emotional throughout the whole song, but the punch of the guitars towards the end made it an incredibly special moment. 

The pre-encore section closed with Another Love. Essentially one of Tom's biggest hits, the raw piano number was as crowd-pleasing as set closer Magnetised - a considerably more dance-inducing track. Tom's ability to whip up a crowd stems not from the tempo of the song, but the energy he puts into each track; it was completely infectious. The love he had for his audience spoke volumes, as he plunged into the crowd multiple times, soaking up the reciprocating admiration.

As I left the O2 Academy last night, set list in hand, I felt genuinely disappointed to go. The concert stands out as one of my favourites, the affinity and vitality making it so. 

From, 

Eleanor